Online Behaviours during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Their Associations with Psychological Factors: An International Exploratory Study

Julius Burkauskas, Naomi A. Fineberg, Konstantinos Ioannidis, Samuel R. Chamberlain, Henrietta Bowden-Jones, Inga Griskova-Bulanova, Aiste Pranckeviciene, Artemisa R. Dores, Irene P. Carvalho, Fernando Barbosa, Pierluigi Simonato, Ilaria De Luca, Rosin Mooney, Maria Ángeles Gómez-Martínez, Zsolt Demetrovics, Krisztina Edina Ábel, Attila Szabo, Hironobu Fujiwara, Mami Shibata, Alejandra R. Melero-Ventola, Eva M. Arroyo-Anlló, Ricardo M. Santos-Labrador, Kei Kobayashi, Francesco Di Carlo, Cristina Monteiro, Giovanni Martinotti and Ornella Corazza
Additional contact information
Julius Burkauskas: Laboratory of Behavioral Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 00135 Palanga, Lithuania
Naomi A. Fineberg: Department of Clinical, Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9EU, UK
Konstantinos Ioannidis: Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
Samuel R. Chamberlain: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
Henrietta Bowden-Jones: Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
Inga Griskova-Bulanova: Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biosciences, Vilnius University, 03225 Vilnius, Lithuania
Aiste Pranckeviciene: Laboratory of Behavioral Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 00135 Palanga, Lithuania
Artemisa R. Dores: School of Health, Polytechnic of Porto, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
Irene P. Carvalho: Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
Fernando Barbosa: Laboratory of Neuropsychophysiology, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
Pierluigi Simonato: Department of Clinical, Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9EU, UK
Ilaria De Luca: Department of Clinical, Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9EU, UK
Rosin Mooney: Medical Sciences Division, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TG, UK
Maria Ángeles Gómez-Martínez: Department of Psychology, Pontifical University of Salamanca, 37002 Salamanca, Spain
Zsolt Demetrovics: Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming, University of Gibraltar, Gibraltar GX11 1AA, Gibraltar
Krisztina Edina Ábel: Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
Attila Szabo: Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
Hironobu Fujiwara: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Kyoto, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
Mami Shibata: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Kyoto, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
Alejandra R. Melero-Ventola: Department of Psychology, Pontifical University of Salamanca, 37002 Salamanca, Spain
Eva M. Arroyo-Anlló: Department of Psychobiology, Neuroscience Institute of Castilla-León, University of Salamanca, 37002 Salamanca, Spain
Ricardo M. Santos-Labrador: Department of Physical Education, University Teacher’s College ‘Fray Luis de León’, 47010 Valladolid, Spain
Kei Kobayashi: Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Kyoto, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
Francesco Di Carlo: Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Science “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Cristina Monteiro: Department of Psychometrics, Institute of Psychology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-901, Brazil
Giovanni Martinotti: Department of Clinical, Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9EU, UK
Ornella Corazza: Department of Clinical, Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9EU, UK

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-18

Abstract: This cross-sectional study aimed to explore specific online behaviours and their association with a range of underlying psychological and other behavioural factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight countries (Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Portugal, Japan, Hungary, and Brazil) participated in an international investigation involving 2223 participants ( M = 33 years old; SD = 11), 70% of whom were females. Participants were surveyed for specific type of Internet use severity, appearance anxiety, self-compassion, and image and use of performance-enhancing drugs (IPEDs). Results were compared cross-culturally. The mean time spent online was 5 h ( SD = ±3) of daily browsing during the pandemic. The most commonly performed activities included social networking, streaming, and general surfing. A strong association between these online behaviours and appearance anxiety, self-compassion, and IPEDs use was found after adjustment for possible confounders, with higher scores being associated with specific online activities. Significant cross-cultural differences also emerged in terms of the amount of time spent online during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: problematic usage of the Internet; appearance anxiety; COVID-19 pandemic; mental illness; self-compassion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
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